Metal flat-top house for nurseries



June 29, 1948. C LL 2,444,309

METAL FLAT TOP HOU SE FOR NURSERIES Filed May 14, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Ennentor Czzrfrli' FaweZZ CIttorneg-f June 29, 1948. c. F. POWELL 2,444,309

' I METAL FLAT TOP HOUSE FOR NURSERIES Filed May 14, 1945 s sheets-sheet 2 'zo g Wan m ui'" Z1;

' 3nnentor wzinuewy q (Ittomegs June 29, 1948. c. F. POWELL 2,444,309

METAL FLAT TOP HOUSE FOR NURSERIES Filed May 14, 1945 s Sheefs-Sheet 3 Inventor C(ttornegS Patented June 29, 1948 UNITED S TATES PATENT OFFICE METAL FLAT-TOP HOUSE FOR NURSERIES Curtis Franklin Powell; Mobile, Ala.

Application May 14, 1945, ,Serial No, 593,587

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in metal plan-t shades for nurseries and has for an object to provide such a top or roof for the purpose of shading plants, to restrict and control the volume of sunlight accessible to such plants.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flat top plant shade which will be simple and cheap in, its construction and method of manufacture, efficient and reliable in service, and readily adaptable for application to such houses.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved roof of the character indicated so constructed and arranged as to admit of installation in a simple and facile manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved metal plant shade for nurseries constructed in accordance with the present'invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one: of the end supporting beams,

Figure. 3 is a similar view of a form of supporting beam,

Figure 4 is an end view of one of the roof sections with parts shown in section,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the same with parts shown in section,

Figure 6 is an edge view of one of the slats,

Figure '7 is a plan view of the same,

Figure 8 is a plan view of two of the slats and a fragmentary plan View of an end member or rail shown in disassembled position,

Figure 9 is an end view of the end member or rail, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan view showing two of the slats assembled upon an end rail and laced to one of the end supporting beams.

Referring more particularly to the drawin s, l0 designates end pillars or standards and II center pillars or standards which may constitute an open sided frame for the bed of plants, flowers or the like which are to be sheltered from the sun by the improved roof construction; or the parts l0 and II might represent the side walls of a house within which the plants are contained.

The end pillars I!) support end supporting beams I2, one of which is more particularly shown in Figure 2 to be of angle iron construction having the vertical central web l3 which projects downwardly from the beam [2 and acts to reinforce and strengthen the same and also assists as a meansofattachment to the supports HI;

U'pstruck from the. end supporting beams l2 are a number of hooks l4. These hooks may be made integral with the beams l2 as by punching the same along three sides and bending the hooks l4 upwardly from the horizontal plane of the end beams [2, whereby the hooks l4 assume a diagonal position with thebights of the hooks inwardly of the roof and the outer open wide mouths of the hook facing outwardly from the roof;

The metal supports H' carry thereupon a center supporting beam [5 which is similar to. the end beams [2' except that it is or may be wider than the end beams l2 and have a double row of hooks i6 and IT, the open mouths of which mutually face. one another with the bights outwardly toward:the roof sections. The center supporting beam l5 may also be of T-iron constructionwi'th a center depending, strengthening and reinforcing web l8.

The two end beams l2 and the single center beam [5 contribute to support two adjacent sections of the roof; it being understood that other sections may be added to the construction and supported by a further beam arrangement.

One of the roof sections is represented partially in Figure 5 in which the roof slats are designated at [9, these slats being of thin sheet metal of appropriate width and suitably spaced apart to provide an adequate area through which the sunlight may be permitted access to the plants beneath the roof.

Each slat I9 is formed as shown in Figures 6 and '7. At the center portions of the slats parallel incisions 20 and 2| are made to produce a strap 22 which is pushed upwardly. The straps of the several slats I9 composing a roof section are connected together at their intermediate portions by a bar 23 which is of a cross sectional dimension admitting it to be passed through the various straps 22; after which the straps may be hammered or pressed down upon the bar 23 to clamp the bar tightly and prevent such bar from becoming displaced through the straps 22.

At the end portions of each slat are pairs of slots 24 and 25 elongated in the direction of length of the slat. The slots 24, as more particularly seen in Figures 5, 8 and 9, receive the upstruck lugs on an end member or rail 28, which lugs 26 are of a depth to extend upwardly beyond the slat l9 and to be crimped or overturned upon the upper surface of the slat 19 as shown in Figure 4. The other slots 25 are received upon upstruck lugs 21 of an end member or rail 29, the lugs 21 being afterwards clinched over upon the top sides of the slats IS.

The end rails 28 and 29 extend at right angles to the slats l9 and all of the slats l9 are secured at their ends by means of the lugs 26 and 21 to the end rails 29 and 29. Thus the slats l9 and the end rails 28 and 29 form rectangular constructions which are unitary sections of the roof.

In Figure 1 such sections are illustrated to consist of four such slats l9 and the two end rails 28 are fastened thereto by the pairs of lugs 26 and 21 rigidly attaching each slat at each end to its respective end rail 28, 29 in a manner which which will not permit the individual slats to turn or twist upon the rails, this action being prevented by the fact that the lugs 26 are elongated and are provided in pairs for each end of each slat l9. In this way a strong and rigid construction is provided which is assembled without the use of skilled labor and without the requirement for welding, riveting or any expensive operations of any kind. This strength is materially added to by the presence of the center bars 23 which prevent the thin slats 19 from sagging at the central portions.

The outer end rails 28 have upstruck hooks 30 in any suitable numbers with the bights of the hooks disposed outwardly and the open mouths of the hooks inwardly.

As shown in Figure 10, the hooks M of the end beams 12 are adapted to receive wire or other lacing 3! which is alternately passed through the hooks 30 of the adjacent end rails 28. This lacing holds the roof section in a sustained yet taut condition and also provides a slotted open work at the ends for the passage for restricted sunlight.

As shown in Figures 5 and 7, D-slots 32 are made in the roof sections through the slats l9 and the inner end rails 29 for the purpose of hooking over the hooks [6 of the center supporting beam 15. The other section of the roof will have similar D-slots 32, as shown in Figure 1 to slip over the companion hooks H on the center supporting beam l5.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the roof sections as units may be constructed apart from the roof and afterwards very easily assembled to the roof by first engaging the D-slots 32 with the hooks l6 and I! and thereafter lacing the hooks 30 to the hooks M of the end beams l2 and drawing the lacing tight and securing the same. This may be done by any novice and does not require skilled labor.

It will also be appreciated that the construction is economically made from sheet metal or other appropriate material but preferably sheet metal from which may be struck up the straps 22, hooks l4, 16, I1 and 30 and the lugs 26 and 21 without materially weakening the constructions of the metal parts but at the same time preserving an integral character to the device.

Each section may be made of any desired number of the slats I9 and these slats may be wider or narrower as conditions of permissive sunlight dictate. The construction also lends itself to ready removal when that contingency presents itself.

Where desired the inner end rails 29 may be dispensed with and the D-slots 32 of the slats I9 may be directly engaged over the hooks l6, ll of the center supporting beam l5.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In a plant shade, a roof section comprising thin flat slats having pairs of longitudinally extending end slots, end rails having upstruck lugs passing through said slots and clinched over on said slats, a support for one end rail, hooks on the other end rail, a second support having hooks complemental to the end rail hooks, and a lacing passed back and forth between said hooks.

CURTIS FRANKLIN POWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 932,972 Drake Aug. 31, 1909 1,077,057 Drake Oct. 28, 1913 1,360,688 Romig Nov. 30, 1920 1,500,917 Bell July 8, 1924 2,031,402 Wirick Feb. 18, 1936 2,210,516 Wheeler Aug. 6, 1940 

